We received the images above from U.S. artist Marjorie Taylor, who most graciously agreed to let us share them with you. Below is a portion of her heartfelt email that accompanied the paintings.
Hello,
My name is Marjorie Taylor I am a painter who visited Panabaj in Feb. 2007, after the devastation of Hurricane Stan. It was something that I will never forget.
These are some paintings that I created from that visit. These paintings are hanging in my studio, and I have told many people about the village and the people of Panabaj.
I wanted to send you these images so that the people of Panabaj know that they are not forgotten.
The two women in the top image are sisters-in-law. They had each lost their husband and other family members in the mudslide. They asked us to take a photo of them standing where their homes once were. Their story and others like it were heartbreaking, and I think about them often. The paintings of the children I painted because I was so touched by the children living there - after all of the loss that they had been through, their sweet smiles and trusting eyes expressed hope for the future.
I would love it if my art could be used somehow to help heal, raise awareness, raise money, or be of some help to the people struggling to rebuild their lives. Already, I donate a portion of any sales of paintings of Guatemala to your organization.
I just wanted to let the people of Panabaj know that there is at least one person here in the USA who is telling their story. They are not forgotten.
With best wishes,
Marjorie Taylor
taylorstudio at sbcglobal.net
www.taylorpaintings.com
